#1

How we talk changes how we think.

This is how propaganda works. We're somehow hard wired for sociability, cooperation. Something about our mirror neurons, theory of mind, and empathy.

#2

Our minds strive to maintain equilibrium.

There's an immune system like resistance to change, of any kind. The backfire effect of persuasion must be somehow related to this.

And yet, successful propaganda, persuasion somehow bypasses our defenses. Maybe we have an evolutionary glitch, where fearful stressed out people are more malleable.

#3

We don't remember changing our minds.

This is terrifies me.

Swarm Intelligence [2001] explanation of social cognition cites the research about our amnesia. My guess is that forgetting is somehow necessary for learning.

https://www.amazon.com/Intelligence-Morgan-Kaufmann-Evolutio...

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Please (!) share more recent explanations for the neuroscience of propaganda, cults, persuasion, and so forth.

The only hopeful, optimistic stuff I've read recently is about de-radicalization and successful cult deprogramming. TLDR: Empathy, tenacity, and patience.